Hit the Switcheroo! (and start reviewing)

[Spud]

Erik,

If you are implying that people don't get better because of the comments on this site, I beg to differ. We attempt to incorporate the wisdom of every comment into our process. In the early days, we were asked to choke on a cheese wheel and die. While we did not take the advice literally, we DID write several songs about it, we DID get a three prong adapter per Frankie's suggestion (more accurately, we took the opportunity to learn about ground lift), and we HAVE gotten better. At least, I like to think so. Our recording setup is greatly improved due to suggestions made here, and our song-structuring is more complex, also coming out of comments from the board.

If, on the other hand, you are simply stating that you (and others) are under no obligation to help out, I cannot argue with that.

SPUD

[erik]

Spud:

I wasn't implying that people don't get better because of the comments on this site, I was implying that not everyone gets better because of comments on this site. I think part of it, as you alluded to, is a willingness to listen to people who tell you to choke on a cheese wheel. I think that the reason for my unwillingness to give extensive comments to people whose music I dislike is that based on my personal experience, most of the time the things that I say fall on deaf ears.

[Billy's Little Trip]

If someone told me to start playing more like Berry Manalo and stop playing such loud rock, it would fall to deaf ears. But if you listen to my early stuff compared to my latest stuff, the improvement is because of good constructive criticism and comments. But it makes it tough when two respected people here are giving me exact opposite advice. At that point I either need more opinions, or just choose which bit fits me best. At that point, the advice I didn't use might make the person that gave advice, feel his/her advice fell to deaf ears.
My point here is that if you really care to help, just keep shooting out your advice and if some of it sticks, you did the best you could.
I won't say any names, but there are/have been members here that will not take any advice and continue to sound awful because they are so conceded that they think they are God's thumb and can do no wrong.

[The Weakest Suit]

let's get back to reviews on this thread please.

[erik]

But if you listen to my early stuff compared to my latest stuff, the improvement is because of good constructive criticism and comments.

I listened to a handful of tracks that you've submitted to SF. The early ones sound decent, the later ones sound decent. In what way do you think people helped you with comments?

[Phil. Redmon.]

Gnome Alone - Well, obviously you've made a bit of a mistake with your volume levels. Mellow out that tambourine just a little bit, flop a little reverb on it, and let the vocal sit in the driver's seat. It sounds like you're recording to tape, judging by the big pops on your punch-ins, so I guess all I can say is good effort, strong enough for a K records compilation (toward the end), and props for not laughing (that I heard.) Mid five.

Cthonic Youth - Ha ha ha, well, you're living up to your name, for sure. Your voice reminds me of Lee Ranaldo, or maybe the guy from the Hold Steady (but less nasaly), not that that consitiutes much of a review. I love the din, there is a lot to enjoy in this thick seven layer burrito you've put together. The chugchugchug of the bass makes for a nice platter for the swirling guitars to sit on. Nice presentation all around, but I've gotta take issue with the drums. One of those fills is so bad, the whole song falls apart for half a bar, a couple times. I wonder if maybe a slightly drier drum tone would have benefited the tune? I'm having a hard time holding that against you, though. A great tune, great sound. Also, I just learned the word circumlocution the other day. Total high five.

chonny - Nice full sound. I'm digging the jangly guitars, as well as the overblown furz that comes in on the "yer wrong" bits. Thank you for doing the "yer wrong" bit in sets of three, too. Four would have been too many, but three kind of lets my ear off the hook, you know? My only nitpicks are the vocal mix. I'm not harshin' or nothin', but any kind of compression or eq would do a world of good here. Song has a nice variety of bits, and a good idea of "what guitars are supposed to sound like." The part where you're playing leads over the key/chord change, you know, a minute and a half in, after the change, when you play the lead line again, and there's that little three note climb, the highest bit, the guitar kind of squeaks a little? I love that. So yeah, upper fives, dude.

Stu Jordan - Some really nice low end on this tune. It's like you're giving my speakers a massage. Your voice is giving me shades of Andrew Bird, when he's not laying on the Al Jolson. There are some sweet changes in this song, like the bit before the guitar solo, which is, i guess, the end. At times, it's pretty "picks on strings" sounding, with the attack almost overshadowing the notes. Still, overall, this tune has a nice soothe to it. I applaud your vocal delivery, particularly on the high jumps & the held notes. It seems like you were really going for a thing, and I think you probably nailed it. The thing, I mean. Anyway, high five.

The Weakest Suit - Moy'b. You hit the "roo-ooo-oo's" just fine, but the beginning has, vocally, almost no notes at all, then there's the "give me one more chance" part, where you sound so unsure, it's like you're singing it for the first time. I don't know how many takes you did, but that spot is a sore thumb. I know acoustic guitars can be hard to record, but I'm getting a lot of string sounds, and not much note. This is a fine song, and every fight seems to have one that fills the same sonic space as this one. I gotta tell you, I wish this tune sounded more like the 1:24 area. If that were the starting point, and it branched from there, you'd really have something. Upper moderate five, hoy.

thanks for the frisbee - I like the dynamics in this tune, even if the "wasting" jumps a little too hard. It makes me jump to turn it down, and then it's too quiet. That is such a bullshit nit-picky thing to say, and it says nothing about your song, so, I apologize. But yeah, some kind of limiter. Nice confident singing, particularly the held notes. Also, it took me almost the entire way through before I even noticed there were only three chords (not that there's anything wrong etc.) What I would have really liked is just a little blurt of percussion to come in about two thirds of the way through. This tune has a strong sense of melody, and I applaud it. Hot five.

Melvin - Man, this song is just aching for a harmony vocal! Yearning, even! I like the tight hi-hats during the verse bits. They add a nice tension. A well written tune, with some nice changes, and cool sounds. I know know-y know you could have played that lead at the end better than that, so it must have been a conscious decision to let that take ride. Ultimately, I kept expecting this song to take me somewhere it never did, namely, a harmony vocal release. Also, at times, I mean, I know it's been said, but I kept expecting the chorus to be "this is such a pity." Upper area of high five material, n' such.

echovoodoo - Oh man, ok, this, to me, is THE sound of songfight. Classic synth sounds, uke, up-front bassy vocals, and "those" drum fills. Man, I love the line "without any sufficiently explanatory audio or text." You know that line is funny, and the dry delivery only makes it better. The uke starts to wear on me after a while, and I start wishing for more low end from the drums, but this song still makes me smile. The vocal harmonies really help sell the tune. Some interesting sonic choices, but your frequencies kind of stack up like a jenga game. I know, I know "phil, that's all about the mix, shut up already, review the song." OK, fine. I really like the "what do you do" part, because it's a change. I enjoy the bassline all the way through. I am giving you a lower upper mid high five.

mico saudad - This is my favorite acoustic sound of the fight, you can actually hear a little bit of the wood resonating. I like your voacl delivery, and I like the pacing. You build a nice quiet sense of drama. I am over the moon about the "bum bum" stuff at the end. I also like how you bottom out on the "hope we're not doomed" bit, when the written melody escapes your register, and you almost fall to a whisper. This is one of the times a g&g song doesn't sound like it's missing anything. Oh man, I just realized how happy I am that you didn't whistle on this song. "bottom up in the sun, we're all lost," I love that line. Also, the repeated lines, that shit is good. Big high fives, sir.

Lord of Oats - Man, I agree with No Horse Town. You really did squander a good thing. The intro was cool (though the riddim guitar sound has the kind of dry, direct fuzz I can't hang with), but when it busts into the "main" song, the drums are a nightmare. The bass is plenty of fun, but the vocal delivery is so phonus balonus, and the lyrics are "funny" without actually being funny. It sounds like you're having some fun on the leads, and I can kinda get behind the early-Ween-records lead tone. If the solo was maybe a little more "intentional," you could have possibly semi-saved the song, but ultimately, the whole thing is shot in the foot & kicked in the nuts by the overpowering, semi-tuneless vocal stuff. Mid five w/ cocked eyebrow.

Jon Mayor - Well, I got no beef with this, really. I mean, it's got a nice sound to it, maybe too much squeeky toy, but hey, it's your "masterpiece." Perfectly fine in its own right, but as a sf entry, you get the big fail, dude. I mean, sure, you recorded some stuff, and sent it in, and it may well have been inspired by the title, but, uh, you didn't write a song. Down low, too slow.

The Pathetic Wannabees - Ha ha, ha ha ha. "have our cake and eat it too!" I had to play this one a few times. There is an urgent sense of fun all over this hot mess. Ha ha, I don't understand the appeal, yet I can't stop smiling. I guess maybe it's because you're having fun, but it's not at the listener's expense? It just all sounds so purposeful! Every sound in this song is committed. "Swappin' chicks with chums!" You dirty birds! Was this the only "key party" song in the fight? High five, totalz.

Swilington - I didn't know what to think, I mean, I still don't know what to think, but when I heard the high bg vox, I said to myself "huh!" This song really sounds like it is tearing itself apart. It sounds frustrated. The rhythmic collisions seem to validate the feelings of the song's protagonist. Ultimately, this tune is a disasterpiece, and I have no problem with that. You went out on a limb, and whether or not it was worth it, you get points for going. Upper mid moderate five.

The Hell Yeahs - This was a fun one to record, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I think my biggest beef is that I waited too long to record the solo in the middle, and maybe it sits outside the sonic headspace of the song. This could maybe be the result of hearing the song a hundred times before it had a solo, but who knows. I played my hollowbody italian Goya on the verse noodles, which I haven't recorded since "Sincerity Machine." Nice to have it back in the family. Heather was a little worried about her little voice cracks, but I think they add to the regretful vibe. I could go on and on, but, you know, I can just do that in person. High five & a "woo hoo."

Good fight, everybody.

[Reist]

But if you listen to my early stuff compared to my latest stuff, the improvement is because of good constructive criticism and comments.

I listened to a handful of tracks that you've submitted to SF. The early ones sound decent, the later ones sound decent. In what way do you think people helped you with comments?

I figure I might as well get myself out here, since improvement has been the story of my music since I came to SF. If you want proof that some people take reviews seriously, here I am. If you already knew this, then sorry - it's hard to tell what's really happening in internet conversations.

My first SF entry
My latest song

[Billy's Little Trip]

But if you listen to my early stuff compared to my latest stuff, the improvement is because of good constructive criticism and comments.

I listened to a handful of tracks that you've submitted to SF. The early ones sound decent, the later ones sound decent. In what way do you think people helped you with comments?

Mostly technical and arrangement. I've always prided myself on my arrangement skills, but I've made adjustments after some comments and I feel it did improve my song layouts. Although my fight songs may still be a bit longer than some, I've managed to shorten them up by removing some fluff, but keep the image I'm trying to get across. Anti m once suggested I push more of the angular changes, which I asked what she meant, she responded and I then knew exactly what she meant and started working that a bit more with reviews that noticed it. Continued reviews about over wanking lead guitar solos, so they are now very minimal and more fitting to the melody and rhythm instead of show casing guitar skills. My first song after this advice was "twerp", where even Fluffy who seems to be anti guitar solo, said something along the lines of, "hmm, guitar solo, but it fits well and sound good in this song" (not word for word). Lunkhead liked the collaboration of wages as the singer in BLT and suggested I move in that direction. Although I want to sing what I write, I've decided to pursue a new lead singer in my future songs. That's one area I'd like more opinions on because I like to sing and I've got more in me still that I feel I haven't let loose. I could go on and on, but I think this answers your question.
Sorry for the off topicnessismz.

[melvin]

Melvin - Man, this song is just aching for a harmony vocal!

That's funny, because this is probably the first song I've done in the last 100 or so without a harmony part! I'm really not sure why I decided I should skip it this time. Thanks for the review and, by the way, great track this week, Phil.

PS. All this talk about whether reviews are helpful or not is obtuse. Of course no one's obliged to listen to the fights or provide reviews. But I'm grateful for those who do. In the case of Jolly Roger, I'm sure the advice and occasional appreciation of this community have been factors in helping him improve incredibly over the last year or two.

[Phil. Redmon.]

Reviews from our 5 year old son. He assigned the points on the second listen through.

Gnome Alone - Medium good. Nothing wrong with it. Too quiet. The singing is too quiet. 2/10

Cthonic Youth - Huh? Huh? Okay, that's good! It's good AND loud! I like the whole thing about that one, even though it's really loud. 9/10

chonny - It's good, yeah! I like all of it, I like the whole thing. 8/10

Stu Jordan - Good, yeah, that one's good. It's all good. Just good. The drums are good because there's no drums! 3/10

The Weakest Suit - I like that one! Yeah, it's good, and not anything else about it. 4/10

thanks for the frisbee - It's good. I don't know what else I think about it, that stuff is out of my brain. 5/10

Melvin - I like it. I LIKE IT! All the parts! All of it's good. 8/10

echovoodoo - Hmm, medium. Maybe I would change the bass. I would leave the signing and the drums the same way. 2.5/10

mico saudad - Well the first parts were too quiet, but I still like it. 2/10

Lord of Oats - I like the first part. I like it. Is this the same song? Really? But part two, right? It's good, I like the singing. "you switched my toothpaste with glue" part is my favorite part! ha ha ha! 4.5/10

Jon Mayor - I like that one. Ha ha ha ha, that part's funny! (the moo) Like, it's really good, really. 8.5/10

The Pathetic Wannabees - It's good, and in one part sounds familiar! That part! (guitar alone) I have to pee. I really do like that one. 9/10

Swilington - I like that one. It's really good. I like the singing and the guitar. 8/10

The Hell Yeahs - Of course you know I like that one. Nothing else for me to say about that one. 9.5/10

[mico saudad]

your 5 year old son wrote better reviews this week than I did. wow don't I look bad. hmm

[reve]

Hello. My name is R. Mosquito. I submitted as Cthonic Youth this week. I tried to pretend I don’t have a high squeaky voice, and I tried to play drums. I didn’t really do either that well, but hey – practice makes okay eventually, right?

Chonny. This is pretty groovalicious, Chonny. It’s nice and rounded out. The psychout guitar in my right ear… rules. This song gets better with each successive listen.

Echo Voodoo. So hey, are you familiar with Casiotone for the Painfully Alone? I think you could totally pull off that level of cool with your voice. You’d have to try to work less hard at hitting notes, but damn that dude’s voice sounds super cool to me. And the legions of scenesters that love CPA. Seriously, go to emusic and stream the 30 second samples of the bobby Malone moves home EP. Two minutes well spent. I would ditch the brassy synth stabs, too.

Gnome Alone. Well Gnome, I must say that the track overall would have benefited from some additional instrumentation. I mean, I’m a fan of minimalism and all, but, yeah, some rounding out would help.

Hell Yeahs. Really, what kind of constructive criticism could I possibly provide to some of the strongest Songfighters around? Me, I’ve been wearing out the grooves on the Be Your Own Pet LP. So I could see H’s vocals going a little more aggressive.

Jon Mayor. Hi Jon. I admit that I’m a sucker for a catchy song that reflect the title, and that’s hard to do instrumentally. That said, I like your bass groove, and I *love* the squeaky toy & and whatever that laughtery sorta sound is.

Lord of Oats. Hello, lord. So, I think your song could have benefited from a bit of editing. If you made a video of a Nick Cave sock puppet singing what goes on from about 1:00 to 1:40 and posted it on youtube, it would be the funniest thing ever. However, as a song it’s not really as funny as it needs to be to work, particularly at 5+ minutes. However, as someone who has totally blown humor attempts, I can commiserate.

Melvin. Well again, there’s not much I can criticize (constructively or otherwise) with a track as strong as Mevin’s. My two comments are: I feel that bandpassing the drums in the middle of a song has become a cliché. It’s like a horror movie sample at the beginning of an industrial song. Also, the final “let me hear you say yes” leaves the song with a weak feeling. Leaving it at 2:50 would have worked better for me, but hey. I also would have to concur with Phil about the Harmony part (or at least a double trackin’) on the chorus.

mico saudad. Again, I have nothing to criticize or suggest, really. Well designed and executed.

Pathetic Wannabees. Well, I’m glad someone took this fight in the transgendered direction. This is an all around a fun track.

Stu Jordan So I first listened to this track in my car… and all I heard was the bass. Speaker crunchingly loud bass. Now mind you, my car stereo totally sucks. But as sweet as that bass sounds in my headphones, the loooooowww notes are way, way louder than the end on this track. So you might want to ease on up on the bass EQ. That said, this is an otherwise excellently conceived and executed tracks, and we should all tip our hats at you.

Swilington. Swill, this would be really really good were it not for the weird gated-reverb laden drums. I mean, I hear you playing with some non-standard timings there and all, so maybe you’re going for different. But it’s just a little too different for me (an admittedly mainstream audience).

Thanks for the Frisbee. Fris, don’t doubletrack your vocals (or ADT / delay, whatever) like that – you don’t need to. Your voice is great on its own! Without more going on the track, the doubletracking really detracts. Now if you were death cab for cutie and you had a zillion tracks of stuff going, you could get away with that much doubletracking. (But I think they over doubletrack too, so hey.) Anyway, this is a fine song.

The Weakest Suit. I am TOTALLY impressed that you hit those ooo-ooos. But at the same time, this track would be way better without them. My rationale for this is that the rest of the song gives me a Syd Barretty, darker vibe with the dischord and all, and the oo seems out of place. Still, a fine track.

Vote goes to Echo Voodoo.
Lacy ribbons for production & style to Melvin and the Hell Yeahs.
Blue ribbon to Swillington.

[Stu]

Stu Jordan So I first listened to this track in my car… and all I heard was the bass. Speaker crunchingly loud bass. Now mind you, my car stereo totally sucks. But as sweet as that bass sounds in my headphones, the loooooowww notes are way, way louder than the end on this track. So you might want to ease on up on the bass EQ.

Yeah, I played the track for a friend of mine a few days after I submitted, having never listened to it on anything but my headphones and was shocked to learn that I totally screwed up the levels on the bass. I'm still working out this whole home recording thing. My apologies to you and your car's speakers.

[Billy's Little Trip]

Stu Jordan So I first listened to this track in my car… and all I heard was the bass. Speaker crunchingly loud bass. Now mind you, my car stereo totally sucks. But as sweet as that bass sounds in my headphones, the loooooowww notes are way, way louder than the end on this track. So you might want to ease on up on the bass EQ.

Yeah, I played the track for a friend of mine a few days after I submitted, having never listened to it on anything but my headphones and was shocked to learn that I totally screwed up the levels on the bass. I'm still working out this whole home recording thing. My apologies to you and your car's speakers.

Stu, do you mix with monitors, or headphones? I had this problem also, but I was told about the Beyer Dynamic DT-770 studio headphones. They are very flat with very low response, so mixing bass is great with them. I've had mine for about a year now.

[Stu]

Stu, do you mix with monitors, or headphones? I had this problem also, but I was told about the Beyer Dynamic DT-770 studio headphones. They are very flat with very low response, so mixing bass is great with them. I've had mine for about a year now.

I use headphones, but they're nothing fancy. I think I should invest in some studio headphones though. This submission has taught me not to trust everything I hear in those things. Oh well, without these mistakes I'd never learn.

[reve]

My apologies to you and your car's speakers.

Stu, we've all been there. Like eight... engh, closer to ten years ago I mixed a friend's folk album with old school walkman headphones. Burned CDs with our cool high-tech CD burner. That one actually BLEW OUT the car speakers of multiple people. With a folk album. Most industrial thing ever. So don't sweat it!

I still mix with $17 headphones, but I have a sense for what I need to turn down. Stuff still winds up muddy though.

[spinlock]

It's been a while. We're doing a big text thing now? 'k.

I listen with headphones, and don't have a choice about that, (though if someone wants to recommend better headphones I'd appreciate it - can't afford AKG701's) so double check my comments about mixing and eq.

Oh - BLT already recommended some. Thanks!

Chonny. This is brilliant! I love songs about crazy women wanting to take over the world. Wow, this is shiny. I like the modulation and the changes in texture. I wish your solo had been done on an analogue synth with portamento, and a bit of reverb, that would have sounded so groovy. In places the voice gets lost which is a shame. The way it is, if the singing was about an octave higher it would have come through better, but you record a song with the voice you have, not the voice you want
I get the same happy vibe from this song that I do from the Barenaked Ladies' "Big Bang Theory". When I'm done reviewing, I'm looking for more of your tunes.

Echo Voodoo. Is that a uke in the background there? Awesome!.
Anyway, great vocals. They're really smooth. Gorgeous. But: the synth and bass are very heavy and plodding compared to the drums which are crazy hyperactive. On the plus side, the plodding accompaniment matches the reluctant tone of the lyrics. But I'd rather hear a bit of variety in the dynamics given that the tune is mostly the same all the way through. A quiet bit. A loud bit. A complicated bit. You know?
Without the light strumming, I wouldn't like this song, but it adds enough brightness to make it attractive.

Gnome Alone. I was expecting some music to come in at some point, but it didn't. You have annoying clicks when your harmonies come in. I don't know what you're using to record, but most packages will let you edit out clicks. If you can't edit them out, then it could be caused by a DC offset - lots of programs let you adjust for that in their normalizationg menu.
I recommend grabbing Audacity (as it's free) and try editing your waveforms in that.

Hell Yeahs. I didn't used to like your style based on stuff I heard about a year ago - but I like this song. Particularly the quiet dissonant distorted guitar blurs at the start of each line in the verse - and the softer sound the female vocals have compared to what I've heard in the past. I expected a certain harshness that really wasn't there this time, so I can appreciate the other good qualities it has. Tight, interesting, varied textures. Cool.

Jon Mayor. I want to not like this, due to the extreme reverb. - and the way the musical notes are very bass heavy, making it blurred and unclear at the bottom. But the crazy noises are really interesting. I just wish it built up to something - once everything has been introduced and the drums drop away... There should be something. And then the drums come back and I'm bored. So you can make cool noises. Can you make a song? (I'll have a look at the archives later and find out)

Lord of Oats. Hey LoO. This song sounds like Morrisey doing polka, With an introduction from a completely different song.
Ouch, that's a harsh guitar tone on my headphones at the start. Then - there's a really interesting noise as the drums come in. That only happens once. Pity. That's my favourite bit. Do that again some more, whatever it was.
Your lyrics have improved a lot since I last heard a song of yours. There's still room for improvement. Should I be annoyed with the character in the song for being so dumb they toothpasted their 'objects'? Perhaps that's my peevishness coming through. You haven't said strife and wife yet. Oh - you did it at the end. I wish you wouldn't. It's incredibly lame. *sigh*. This has some positive things going for it. There's some variety in texture.
Here's a challenge for your next entry. No rhyme at all. Throw it away and try to be poetic instead. Use metaphors and analogies. Use words because of what they mean rather than what they sound like. I'll rate you for it if you do. I think it might really help your lyrics improve.

Melvin. Can't find anything to dislike about this song. I really like the drums you've got going on there. Particularly when then come back from the eq'd/quiet bit. And the end is fantastic. Great build, contrast and finish.

mico saudad. Right now, this song was exactly what I wanted to hear, and didn't even know. Quiet, relaxed and charming. Like a sorbet between courses to freshen the palette. Some days I wouldn't want to hear it. Today I did, and really enjoyed it. Thank you. I'm keeping this one around.

Pathetic Wannabees. This makes me think of Richard Nixon guest starring on a hanna barbera cartoon. It's not bad, but it's exceptionally poppy - in the sense that there are lots of pops. Either on the vocals or on a bass. I can't tell what the source is, but you should find out before you next record something- get or make a pop shield, or run a low-cut filter over your bass. That sort of thing. Oh yeah - and try adding compression to your vocals - they fade in and out which makes them hard to hear.

Stu Jordan The bass is a bit boomy and overpowering in my headphones - it'd be nice to hear more of the finger noise for my taste.
This is quite pretty and relaxing - but the words take so long coming, I can't actually remember what you said at the start of the sentence by the time it finishes. I feel that I'm not accustomed to the style, so I'll leave it there. Overall impression was pretty pleasant.

Swilington. Ok. Fix a few things and this would be good. Personally, I'm not a big fan of fuzz guitar. Your drum beat is very very laboured - it sounds like it's really far behind your guitar strumming. Your singing and voice recording don't sound bad at all.

Thanks for the Frisbee. Hah - this song is really cool. I like its highly emoted sentimentality - and the lyrics, and I like your voice too. It'd be nice to have had more variety in the texture, but the doubled vocals give it that little production lift that is just enough for me.

The Weakest Suit.
I like the basic idea behind this. I think it would have sounded awesome with harmonies. The introduction and the end are cool - It's certainly growing on me with repeated listening. In the long tradition of 'Riding along in my automobile'. Have you heard 'All the way' by Busted? You might sympathise with the content, if not the pop production values. Sorry, that's not much of a review is it. :S I liked it. This should be covered by someone, and made into a big production.

[The Weakest Suit]

The Weakest Suit.
I like the basic idea behind this. I think it would have sounded awesome with harmonies. The introduction and the end are cool - It's certainly growing on me with repeated listening. In the long tradition of 'Riding along in my automobile'. Have you heard 'All the way' by Busted? You might sympathise with the content, if not the pop production values. Sorry, that's not much of a review is it. :S I liked it. This should be covered by someone, and made into a big production.

thanks for the review. i'll see if i can find the song you mentioned. pop production values won't scare me away.
on a side note, i have already been contacted for the lyrics and chords by another songfighter who has expressed interest in recording this song with a "full band". i'm excited to hear the results.

[Jerry]

chonny
couldnt finish
echovoodoo
couldnt finish
gnome alone
i listened a while before i realized blahblah...
mico saudad
i hate folk so i hate this because it is folk.

If you're unable to focus more than a minute or so on a song you don't 'like', maybe http://www.hannah-montana.com/ is more your speed. My eight year old swears by it!

As someone who routinely skips ahead in songs he doesn't like, let me just say that I am completely ABLE to focus on a song that I don't like, but I choose not to because I don't WANT to spend my time listening to songs that I don't like.

Suggesting that people should listen to songs that they don't think are any good makes Songfight less of "a place where you can go and find awesome music" and more of "a place where people feel obligated to listen to music that they dislike". How tedious and bothersome.

That's just ridiculous. This is an amateur. songwriting. forum. Many, like me, work full time, have families and, like me, may be lacking a little in the skills department. I think most come here for feedback, to show off, for fun. Not to make it onto your personal iPod. What, you're searching only for songs that satisfy your personal taste? How tedious and bothersome."I hate folk so I hate this because it is folk". Who cares? I hate Dixieland music. If you post a Dixieland tune, I can comment on a)production values, b)chops, c)conception, etc. I can see that every 'competitor' in this community is like me: putting effort and time into contributing a tune for the consideration of other struggling songwriters. To turn your nose up and go 'ewwww' at someone's Slayer tribute/country ballad/bluegrass breakdown/'80's synthpop track is pretty weak. Disagree? Great. Whatevers.
My two euros, if it's not too late:
Echovoodoo: Super sweet melody. I'm wishing it resolved a little more fully after the 'B' parts. I like the vocal quality in a eighties pop way and would have liked more of the doubling. Nice track. Coulda used a 'C' part, but nice track, nonetheless.
The Weakest Suit: The spirit of this tune is fun and all, but it's a bit half-baked. Nice parts, but the whole could use more attention. On second listening, more production might have detracted from the 'all by my lonesome' vibe. Maybe if you ran through it a few more times before hitting the 'record' button?
Mico Saudad: Who knew such a melancholy little chune could come from 'Switcheroo'? The reverb levels are just right. Really nice, man. The acoustic sound is rich and lively sounding.
Lord of Oats: Well, I did laugh. 'Minty fresh objects'. It's kinda like 'what else can he rhyme with switcheroo?'. The ska beat propels the song along, and it's sounds like you had a good time with the general mayhem. The half-time beat comes a little late but still a totally listenable trak, Oats.
Thanks For The Frisbee: I think you've got a good voice for this kind of song. Hope you don't get pissed if I mention Hanson here. Ah, better not. Girls would like this kind of song, not my kinda thing, but the guitar is steady, though more variety would help. Bass groove would give it more beef. As 'tis, it's nice enuff.
Jon Major: Damn, that ducky takes a beating. Nice 'n' dense. The song, I mean. Instrumentals often get short shrift here but I'll make no more comment on that front. Good corrosive guitar raunch there, too.
Cthonic Youth: Oh, yeah, this is good. Nice like a hot colonic, cthonic. The behind-the-beat drums are right on. Excellent, man.
Gnome Alone: You could use a bit of help, there Gnome, so you weren't so Alone. Chopper can't do it all.
Stu Jordan: A helpful link from someone on this site (imagine that- help on this site!) suggested that listening to your mix solely on headphones is not best- that you gotta hear speakers moving the air to get a more accurate picture. Anyway, someone already mentioned the loudish bass. Fortunately, it's a pretty tight bassline. There are a couple points where the melody and chords don't quite jibe. The guitar at the end with the harmonics is sweet. Maybe that guitar could have been used to support the progression earlier, because the concept is there.
chonny: This is my effort. I got a new fuzz pedal (Z-vex Fuzz Factory) and wanted to use it for a Yardbirdsy/Strawberry Alarmclocky kinda riff, simple and hairy. The vocals are weak, though. But, again through a suggestion on this site, I'm exploring compression and eq on my God's Thumb entry. Can't make up for a crappy 'instrument', though.
Swilington: The broken Maytag beat is pretty distracting. The dynamics are refreshing, and , hell, you seem to be able to follow that beat. This is abrasive, but still a pretty decent song. I'll have to listen to your next effort to see if the digital frazz and recording anomalies are the sound you were going for here, or are indicative of something far more sinister. Like, just bad sound.
Melvin: I like the details in the recording, like the tambourine and the fuzz bass. I'm a sucker for a well-thrashed tambourine. Well arranged with some compelling dynamics. 'Yes'.
The Pathetic Wannabes: Someone made a good case for compression on vocals, and while you're not suffering as much as me, it might help you out too. There's a decided lack of tightness at the end but it sounds nice'n'live. Song itself isn't that interesting melodically. This is okay.
The Hell Yeahs: The first thing I'll say about this song is that the guitars sound great, clean, messy, reverby, and all. Lots of sonic variety in the sixstring department. The melody is pretty solid and the instrumentation serves the minor key well.

[erik]

As someone who routinely skips ahead in songs he doesn't like, let me just say that I am completely ABLE to focus on a song that I don't like, but I choose not to because I don't WANT to spend my time listening to songs that I don't like.

Suggesting that people should listen to songs that they don't think are any good makes Songfight less of "a place where you can go and find awesome music" and more of "a place where people feel obligated to listen to music that they dislike". How tedious and bothersome.

That's just ridiculous. This is an amateur. songwriting. forum. Many, like me, work full time, have families and, like me, may be lacking a little in the skills department. I think most come here for feedback, to show off, for fun. Not to make it onto your personal iPod. What, you're searching only for songs that satisfy your personal taste? How tedious and bothersome."I hate folk so I hate this because it is folk". Who cares? I hate Dixieland music. If you post a Dixieland tune, I can comment on a)production values, b)chops, c)conception, etc. I can see that every 'competitor' in this community is like me: putting effort and time into contributing a tune for the consideration of other struggling songwriters. To turn your nose up and go 'ewwww' at someone's Slayer tribute/country ballad/bluegrass breakdown/'80's synthpop track is pretty weak. Disagree? Great. Whatevers.

I think very few people care about getting on MY personal iPod, but they sure as shit care about getting on SOMEONE'S iPod. I think that the appeal of this website is not just about helping people out and things like that: I think that it's also about finding people who love your music, which requires having people who come here looking for music to love.

[erik]

Reviews in a bit, as my act of penance.

[Reist]

I think very few people care about getting on MY personal iPod, but they sure as shit care about getting on SOMEONE'S iPod. I think that the appeal of this website is not just about helping people out and things like that: I think that it's also about finding people who love your music, which requires having people who come here looking for music to love.

Word.